Stackable pallet of pressed sheet material



Dec. 8, 1964 F. SKUBIC 3,160,120

STACKABLE PALLET OF PRES-551D SHEET MATERIAL Filed May 6, 1963 INVENTOR. LEROY F. SKUBIC United States Patent Ofitice 31%,123 Patented Dec. 8, 1964 3,160,120 STACKABLE PALLET 6F PEI) SHEET MATERIAL Leroy F. Sknhie, Beveriy Shores, Ind, assignar to The Paltier Corporation, Michigan City, Ind, a corporation of Illinois Filed May 6, 1963, Ser. No. 278,010 7 Claims. (Cl. 168--53) The present invention relates in general to materials handling equipment and more specifically, to a novel stackable pallet of pressed sheet material finding a wide variety of uses in the field.

One object of the invention is to provide a stackable pallet construction of stamped sheet metal, molded plastic, or the like, and which will be susceptible of economical manufacture yet possess high load carrying capacity.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a stackable pallet construction of the foregoing type wherein the post receiving hardware is initially incorporated therein as an incident to the pressing or stamping operation.

Another object is to provide a stackable pallet construction of the character set forth and which will permit either two-way or four-way entry of the fork of a lift truck.

Still another object is to provide a pallet construction of the above type which will be readily susceptible of application either as a tiering pallet utilizing a supporting post superstructure, or as a conventional pallet which may I be used independently of such superstructure.

Other objects and adavantages will become apparent as the following description proceeds, taken together with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of an illustrative pallet embodying the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the pallet and its post receiving elements and showing their relation to the stacking supports.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the illustrative pallet of FIG. 1 but with its components completely assembled.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional view through a corner portion of the pallet shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but on a somewhat reduced scale, showing a modification in the connection between the upper and lower members of the pallet.

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications and alternative constructions, a certain illustrative embodiment has been shown in the drawings and will be described below in considerable detail. It should be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit the invention to the specific form or mode disclosed, but, on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, alternatives and equivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be noted that the invention is there exemplified in an illustrative stacking pallet of pressed sheet material. The latter comprises upper and lower members of stamped sheet metal or molded plastic material secured together and reinforced both laterally and longitudinally. These members include appropriate stacking hardware or fittings which are incorporated as an incident to the stamping or molding operation. Such fittings are shown in United States Patent Nos. 2,621,879, issued December 16, 1952 on the application of Eugene T. Luudeen, and 2,863,568, issued December 9, 1958 on the application of Leroy F. Skubic. These fittings are adapted to cooperate with vertical supporting columns and nesting cone elements so that a number of pallets may be tiered several units high.

As shown more specifically in FIG. 1, the pallet 10 comprises an upper deck panel 11 having opposed depending flanges 12. For additional strength, the panel 11 may be corrugated as by means of a plurality of transverse grooves 14 extending across the panel face and also into the depending flanges 12. The panel 11 is provided adjacent its corners with a plurality of post receiving apertures 15 each surrounded by an annular fillet 16 integral with the material of the panel 11 (see FIG. 4).

The pallet 10 also includes bottom deck panel 18 of stamped sheet metal or molded plastic material. The panel 18 is provided with a pair of opposed upstanding flanges 19 and may be reinforced by corrugations defined by grooves 20. The latter extend across the face of the panel 18 and also into the upstanding flanges 19. Adjacent its corners, the panel 18 has a plurality of offset bearing areas 21. Each of the latter is formed with a centrally located post receiving socket 22 which is adapted to nestingly receive the lower end of a supporting post 24.

In the assembled pallet, the upper and lower deck panels 11, 18, are secured together in spaced parallel relation with the post receiving apertures 15 of panel 11 in aligned registration with the respective post receiving sockets 22 of the panel 18. In the present instance, the flanges 19 are spaced slightly closer together than the flanges 12 so that the latter telescope over the former a slight amount. The overlapping portions of the flanges 12, 19 are welded as at 25 or otherwise rigidly secured together to make an exceedingly strong joint. Internal reinforcement may also be included in the pallet and in this case it is provided by means of a stringer 26 of channel-shaped cross section. The latter is located centrally of the pallet and is disposed transversely of the corrugation grooves 14, 20. The stringer 26 may be secured to the panels 11, 18 in any suitable manner such as by spot welding. Additional stringers may also be included if further reinforcement is required for particular applications.

The construction thus far described defines a two-way entry pallet. In other words, the pallet 10 may be engaged by the fork of a lift truck inserted between the deck panels 11, 18 along one axis. In this case, the fork enters at either one of the opposed open ends of the pallet.

For the purpose of adapting the pallet 10 as a fourway entry pallet, the opposed side walls, and the stringer 26, are formed with aligned pairs of fork apertures 28. In the stringer 26, the apertures 28 are simply cut out of the web of the channel. In the pallet side walls, the fork apertures 28 are defined by registering notches in the flanges 12 and 19.

A plurality of the pallets 10 may be stacked in one or more vertically spaced tiers after the manner explained in detail in the aforesaid US. Patents 2,621,879 and 2,863,568. For present purposes, it might be noted here that tiering of the pallets 10 may be done by inserting support posts 24 in the apertures 15 and sockets 22 at the respective corners of the bottom pallet. Each of the posts 24 has an upwardly concave socket member 29 at its upper end and which extends transversely beyond the periphery of the post. The socket members 29 are adapted to register with respective ones of the male socket members 22 with a self-aligning nesting engagement. When such engagement occurs, the blunt central nose 30 at the bottom of the socket 22 enters into complemental bearing engagement with the socket 29 and the outer peripheral edge 31 of the latter engages the bearing area 21 to provide outboard support well outside the cross-sectional area of the post 24.

As indicated earlier herein, the pallet 11) is so construct:- ed that it may be used with equal facility either as a V wardly and inwardly of the upper deck panel 11.

either above or below the respective upper and lower faces of the panels 11, 18. As will be noted upon reference to the drawings, annular fillets 16 extend downy the same token, the bearing areas 21 surrounding the socket elements 22, 30 are oflset sufliciently above the face of the bottom panel 18 to accommodate the vertical dimensions of the elements 22, 30. In the present instance, the nose 3%) may extend approximately to the plane of the bottom panel 18 but does not project substantially below the same. It will be'appreciated, therefore, that when the pallet ill is used in a conventional manner virtually its entire upper face area is available for supporting goods and most of its lower face area is available for engaging underlying supporting surface.

In assembling the pallet 1%, it is important to obtain reasonably accurate aligned registration between the post receiving apertures 15 of the upper deck panel 11 and respective ones of the post receiving sockets 22 of the deck panel 18. In the manufacture of pallet components on a production basis, this may present a problem if minor dimensional aberrations in the flanges l2 and 9 should be encountered In such situations, resort may be had to a slightly modified construction of the type illustrated in FIG. 5 where relative movement is perd in said lower deck panel forming corrugations therein, means defining a plurality of post receiving sockets in said lower deck panel, said panels being secured together in spaced relation with said respective depending and upstanding flanges in contact and with said respective post receiving apertures and sockets in aligned registration, and a reinforcing stringer secured between said panels and disposed transversely of said spaced transverse grooves therein.

3. A staekable four-way entry pallet of pressed sheet material comprising the combination of an upper deck panel, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving mitted between the upper and lower deck panels in the general plane of the pallet prior to welding or otherwise securing the panels together. In this instance, as shown in FIG. 5, the flange 12 of upper deck panel 11 may be extended slightly and its free edge portion 32 inturned parallel to the general plane of the pallet. The lower deck panellS is so constructed as to enter into abutting engagement with the lower face of the inturned flange 32 of the upper deck panel. In such event, the flange 19 may be provided with an inturned portion or eliminated altogether and the. portion 32 may be so formed longitudinally as to abuttingly engage the upper face of the bottom deck panel 18. Once the apertures 15 and sockets 22 have been brought into aligned registration, the members may be welded as at 25 or otherwise rigidly secured together.

I claim as my invention:

1. A stackable pallet of pressed sheet material comprising, in combination, an upper deck panel, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving apertures in said upper deck panel, a lower deck panel, a pair of opposed upstanding flanges on said lower deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving sockets in said lower deck panel, said panels being secured together in spaced relation with said respective depending and upstanding flanges overlapping and with said respective post receiving apertures and sockets in alignment, and an internal reinforcing member interposed between said panels and secured thereto.

2. A stackablepallet of pressed sheet material comprising, in combination, an upper deck panel, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, means defining a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in said upper deck panel forming corrugations therein, means defining a plurality of post receiving apertures in said upper deck panel, a lower deck panel, a pair of opposed upstanding flanges on said lower deck panel, means defining a plurality of spaced transverse grooves apertures in said upper deck panel, a lower deck panel, a pair of opposed upstanding flanges on said lower deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving sockets in said lower deck panel, said panels being assembled in spaced relation with said respective depending and upstanding flanges secured together and with said respective post receiving apertures and sockets in alignment, a reinforcing stringer interposed between said panels and secured thereto, and means defining aligned pairs of spaced apart fork apertures in said opposed flanges and in said stringer.

4. A stackable four-Way entry pallet of pressed sheet material comprising the combination of an upper deck panel, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, means defining a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in said upper deck panel forming corrugations therein, means defining a plurality of post receiving apertures in said upper deck panel, a lower deck panel, a pair of opposed upstanding flanges on said lower deck panel, means defining a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in said lower deck panel forming corrugations therein, means defining a plurality of post receiving sockets in said lower deck panel, said panels being assembled together in spaced relation with said respective depending and upstanding flanges secured together and with said respective post receiving apertures and sockets in alignment, a reinforcing stringer secured between said panels and disposed transversely of the transverse grooves in said deck panels, and means defining aligned pairs of spaced apart fork apertures in said opposed flanges and in said stringer.

5. A stackable four-way entry pallet of pressed sheet material and comprising the combination of an upper deck panel, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, each said flange having a pair of spaced apart notches therein, means defining a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in said upper deck panel forming corrugaitions therein, means defining a plurality of post receiving apertures in said upper deck panel, a lower deck panel, a pair of opposed upstanding flanges on said lower deck panel, each said flange having a pair of spaced apart notches therein, means defining a plurality of spaced transverse grooves in said lower deck panel forming corrugations therein, means defining a plurality of bearing areas adjacent the corners of said lower deck panel, each said bearing area having a post receiving socket therein, said panels being assembled together in spaced relation with said respective depending and upstanding flanges welded together and with said respective post receiving apertures and sockets in alignment, a reinforcing stringer welded to and between said panels, said stringer being disposed substantially perpendicular to the transverse grooves in said deck, panels, and means defining a pair of spaced apart fork apentures in said stringer disposed in alignment with said pairs of notches in said flanges.

6. A pallet of pressed sheet material adapted for use with or without a supporting post superstructure and comprising, in combination, an upper deck, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, means defining a plurality ofpost receiving apertures in said upper deck panel leaving the upper face thereof 7 flush, a lower deck panel, a pair of opposed upstandmg flanges on said lower deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving sockets in said lower deck panel, said sockets having load bearing nose portions extending downwardly but terminating substantially at the bottom face of said lower deck panel, said panels being secured together in spaced relation with said respective depending and upstanding flanges connected and with said respective post receiving apertures and sockets in alignment, and an internal reinforcing member interposed between said panels and secured thereto.

7. A stackab le pallet of pressed sheet material comprising, in combination, an upper deck panel, a pair of opposed depending flanges on said upper deck panel, inturned edge portions on said flanges disposed substantially parallel to the general plane of said upper deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving apertures in said upper deck panel, a lower deck panel, means defining a plurality of post receiving sockets in said References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,678,787 Averill May 18, 1954 2,705,120 Owen Mar. 29, 1955 2,844,344 Strek et a1. July 22, 1958 2,863,568 Skubic Dec. 9, 1958 2,868,487 Robinson Jan. 13, 1959 2,870,980 Higgins et a1. Jan. 27, 1959 FOREIGN PATENTS 711-071 Great Britain June 23. 1954 

1. A STACKABLE PALLET OF PRESSED SHEET MATERIAL COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN UPPER DECK PANEL, A PAIR OF OPPOSED DEPENDING FLANGES ON SAID UPPER DECK PANEL, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF POST RECEIVING APERTURES IN SAID UPPER DECK PANEL, A LOWER DECK PANEL, A PAIR OF OPPOSED UPSTANDING FLANGES ON SAID LOWER DECK PANEL, MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF POST RECEIVING SOCKETS IN SAID LOWER DECK PANEL, SAID PANELS BEING SECURED TOGETHER IN SPACED RELATION WITH SAID RESPECTIVE DEPENDING AND UPSTANDING FLANGES OVERLAPPING AND WITH SAID RESPECTIVE POST RECEIVING APERTURES AND SOCKETS IN ALIGNMENT, AND AN INTERNAL REINFORCING MEMBER INTERPOSED BETWEEN SAID PANELS AND SECURED THERETO. 